Social Studies That Sticks: How to Bring Content and Concepts to Life » (1st Edition)

Laurel Schmidt is the author of three Heiemann titles: Social Studies That Sticks (2007), Classroom Confidential (2004), and Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators (2002). Laurel has worked for thirty years in education as a teacher, principal, curriculum development specialist, consultant, lecturer, and writer. Currently she is the Director of Pupil Services for the Santa Monica-Malibu School District and an adjunct professor at Antioch University. She is also the author of Seven Times Smarter: 50 Ways to Develop the Multiple Intelligences in Your Child (Three Rivers Press, 2001). You can email Laurel at schmidtl@smmusd.org and visit her website at www.laurelschmidt.com.

The announcement that It s social studies time often elicits dread from students who mistakenly view the subject as a near-death experience. And who can blame them when this fascinating subject has been stripped of the heartbreak, adventure, conflict, treachery, strategic brilliance, and spectacular foibles in short, the humanity that it s supposed to explain? Student apathy and rock-bottom test scores scream that it s time for a change for unforgettable, not regrettable, social studies. It s time for Social Studies That Sticks.

In Social Studies That Sticks Laurel Schmidt introduces a brain-compatible approach to integrated, standards-based instruction, using the four elements of the human learning cycle: awareness, exploration, inquiry, and action. This dynamic approach brings content and concepts to life, while sharpening skills in questioning, thinking, reading, writing, and the visual and performing arts. It promotes academic achievement, models the habits of active citizenship, tunes students ethical antennae to social problems, and teaches tools students can use to advocate for change.

Getting the Big Picture
Putting the Social Back in Social Studies: Teaching So Kids Learn     1
What's Your Problem? Human Dilemmas at the Heart of Social Studies     30
Tools of the Trade
Investigations: Discovering the World Through Primary Sources     42
Informants: How to Make Dead People Talk     72
Getting the Picture: Thinking with Things     107
Real World Connections
Community as Classroom: Place-Based Explorations and Discoveries     128
Reading Between the Lines: Cultural Perspectives, Point of View, Politics, and Propaganda     169
Does This Still Happen? Linking History to Current Events     194
Who Do We See About That? Social Justice Projects Beyond the Classroom     215
Resources     240
Works Cited     243
Index     246